yusenki:

[translation: @yusenki | editing: twitter@braunsofsteel ]

Disclaimer: Please do not re-post the translation elsewhere without permission.

Note: This interview was published in Pash Magazine (x).

Profile: Works for Aoni Production, notable roles: Delico (GANGSTA), Thien (Terra Formars).

“Even though he is labelled as a traitor, somehow I still want him to survive”

Bertolt’s real identity is revealed in episode 31. How did Bertolt’s VA Hashizume-san react to that shocking truth? How did he perform this? We are overwhelmed with many revelation episodes.

During the first season, I underwent the pain of not being able to understand his feelings.

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Journalist (J): Hashizume-san, please let us hear your impression on Bertolt.

Hashizume (H): I have the impression that Bertolt is the most normal seeming (TN:) among the Shingeki no Kyojin (SNK) characters. Like, even in the current real world where we live in, he looks normal. He is highly competent, but because up until now he hasn’t had the chance to show his skills, that’s why he doesn’t stand out. More than that, I feel it’s because of his reserved and quiet personality. “Oh such person exists!” Something like that. I think the most fascinating thing about him is his human-like existence, that he can be easily empathized by others (real human).

TN: Bert is like the normal Japanese guys’ standard image. Usually anime characters don’t represents the actual Japanese in real life but Bert is very much like a normal Japanese guy.

J: How do you feel after not performing Bertolt for a while?

H: The last time I performed him in the original SNK series was 4 years ago, but in between, I performed him in SNK Junior High, games, and events. They were not the original SNK him (Bertolt), but at least I got in touch with the character to a certain degree. However, it felt like I performed him in a parallel world in SNK Junior High, because Bertolt’s age in Junior High and actual SNK is different. The world atmosphere is also different. That’s why I feel that it has been a while since I performed him. Despite all of that, he barely spoke in season 1 *laugh*.  The first time he spoke was in episode 3 of the first season – that was the first time I performed as him – the scene where he talked to Eren and Armin about being attacked by a titan. During the recording of that scene, it was around the time where he was revealed as the Colossal Titan in the manga. I was so surprised, “How did it end up like this?!” *laugh*. I was pretty much bewildered during the recording. He was earnestly talking to Eren and co. I was wondering whether that story was a lie, something like that *laugh*. I was fairly stressed with how I should perform Bertolt at that time. I couldn’t understand how he felt when he talked to Eren & co.

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